This movies started off very promising and the early twist if you can call it that was well executed however my biggest gripe with this movie and any movie that does this is hooking you for three quarters of the movie and then just becoming so badly written and directed in the final act that it infuriates you as you feel obligated to finish watching what has now become a terrible audience insulting cliche fest.
Where do we start.
The police officer turning up and finding two dead bodies but doesn't call for back up, the house plunged into darkness to the point you cannot see any of set or actors, the hunt to find Alex as she has car keys when there are two other cars parked outside (stepmoms and cop) probably with keys in ignition, the fact a knife is sourced before searching for Alex when there is a gun and outboard motor already in play as weapons, the girl who caught on fire and then disappeared, the ridiculous launch out of the upstairs window that looked like she had been thrown by someone with superhuman strength. Ok yes we are meant to overlook certain things in a horror but c'mon. This was on track to be a solid 6 or 7 for me until that disaster of a final act. Who screens these things and thinks they are good?
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jon_anderson7716 May 2020
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Draysan-Jennings3 May 2020Only thing 80's about this movie was Jolt soda and the old Twinkie boxes. That was literally it. The wardrobe was terrible. The cast looked like modern day posers. I liked some of the actors it's just too bad the story sucked. Especially the ending. The film had a lot of potential. Too bad it ended up the way it did. 5 stars
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markusibbetson11 July 2020I really wanted to like this film (I absolutely love Alexandra Daddario), but this was yet another film with a disappointing twist.
Alexis, Val and Beverly meet Mark, Kovacs and Ivan at a gig and bond over their love of rock and metal. They all head back to Alexis' house, where the three boys are drugged. When they come to, they find themselves tied up in a room that looks like it's the lair of a satanic cult (satanic cult murders had been reported on the news). Alexis, Val and Beverly reveal that they actually hate rock/metal and are deeply religious and have been murdering people in a satanic ritualistic way in the hopes that it'll drive people to God, more specifically to Alexis' father's church.
What follows is a bog-standard thriller, where the boys fight for survival and the crazy girls try and finish what they started. None of it is particularly new or exciting. The holier-than-thou attitudes and arrogant and ignorant beliefs of Alexis and Val are annoying and make the film a chore to get through.
This film perfectly portrays people who give religion a bad name - those who use it as an excuse to do heinous things. Alexis and Val (encouraged by Alexis' father) believe that breaking one of the commandments is okay as long as you're doing it in God's name. They are narrowminded and judgemental and are the sort of people who genuinely think that rock/metal is satanic. They're the sort of people who actually believe that are hidden messages in metal songs that you can hear if you play them backwards. They are intolerant of anyone who does not share their religious views.
This film would have been more interesting if the girls were part of a satanic cult. Better yet, if the 3 religious girls had been faking the satanic murders, but had actually, accidentally 'Summoned the Darkness'. -
JerichoGX25 April 2020Went into this one expecting a lot, I left disappointed.
It's the kinda film that reels you along, making you feel that something big is coming - and what comes is obvious and played out. It feels like a Scream rip-off, or any generic slasher really with a sprinkling of satanism, none of it really gels together. As a metalhead, the soundtrack is top-notch but good music can't save a bad movie. -
taylamell28 October 2020If you're a horror/thriller buff, you can see the twist coming a mile away, but the performances are done well enough that the film is still enjoyable. Daddario really sells her performance, especially with her eyes, and even Johnny Knoxville's good in his role. I'd say this is worth the watch
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dsayshi25714 August 2020Wow. I was genuinely surprised at how bad this movie was. I have seen other reviews crediting Alexandra Daddario's performance but I genuinely thought that was one of the worst parts. Without giving anything away, she over acts her heart out and made me cringe multiple times. This on top of a mediocre script, uninspiring plot, and uninteresting characters with no sort of backstory, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Stay away from this one unless you really have nothing better to do.
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It's the late 80s. Three young, attractive girls head to a rock concert and meet a few seemingly harmless metalheads. After playing a drinking game of "never have I ever ...", the evening doesn't quite go to plan ...
It has elements of Red State and 68 Kill but probably not quite as good as either movie. It is, however, well written and acted and the characters are likeable and interesting, so I found myself enjoying it throughout. It doesn't get too dark; the mood remains tense but hardly nerve-shredding and the gory scenes are in-keeping with the general vibe, ie. it's not gross-out horror.
The ending is perhaps a bit less well-coordinated than the rest of the movie but reasonably decent all the same.
It's a good light-horror popcorn flick with tension and laughs in the right places and will probably prove popular. -
johncharlesmcnair12 April 2020One of those movies you watch until the end because you're convinced it must get better.... But it doesn't.
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jordan224011 August 2020Didn't expect much, so it really had nowhere to go but up, and for the most part, it did. Provided some comical moments, and I thought the acting was very good. Like most in this genre, it had some scenes that I thought stupid and others that were improbable, but it did keep me entertained. Certainly worth more than the 1 and 2 ratings it is getting.
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ramcamcole18 July 2020So the big twist of the movie is that the three girls we think that are just on their way to a rock concert are really killers behind some satanic ritualistic killings.
However, there's a number of moments leading up to the reveal that don't make sense to me.
The first is when they stop at a gas station and Beverly is reading a newspaper about article about the recent ritualistic murders. Alexis grabs the paper from Beverly looks at it and says "this is supposed to scare other people, not us." I mean I suppose she's not wrong. It will scare others and not them, only because they're the ones responsible. But why would she need to say this to Beverly?
The second is when they're driving and a report about murders going on comes onto the radio. Beverly doesn't want to listen it. Obviously before knowing the twist we think she doesn't want to listen because it scares her. I know we later find out Beverly is apprehensive about going through with everything and changes sides but Alexis and Val don't know this. That should've seen to weird to them. Not wanting to listening to a report about murders on the radio when you're about to commit murders yourself seems odd.
Another is when Beverly is so shook that Mark had a knife on him. You brought them there to be murdered. They're your victims. Why are you concerned he has a knife?
Last thing I'll say about the twist. They gave it away too early. There's a scene where Beverly and Alexis are alone getting the drinks. Beverly says "I've never done anything like this before." She's never done what? Had some drinks and hung out with guys? Then Alexis proceeds to say "you're new to our group" and "this is a big step for you." i suppose the writes want to leave it ambiguous as to what all this means but I think it becomes very clear here that it's really the girls here who are bad.
Now imagine this scene weren't in the movie and we're at the part they are playing Never Have I Ever and Alexis says "never have I ever drugged someone's drink." Then you start to realize the girls drugged the guys drinks and they're really the killers. Would've made for a great moment had it not for the prior scene already giving away the twist. -
dutchirishmyfatherwasfromwales29 January 2021Why there are so many negative reviews about this film is a question I can not answer. I have a horror channel subscription running out this month which is why I am watching a lot of horror movies recently and of all the movies I have watched in the last few weeks, month maybe, this is one of the few that really entertained me and I would recommend whenever!
The music is nice, the story is fun, the characters are funny. The conversations seem real(before the horror starts I mean) and the film just looks good and rolls on nicely. It is a fast entertaining ride. There was one moment in the film where I had to smack my own forehead, but that did not spoil the rest of the movie.
If you want to have a nice fun evening with a little gory horror this film is right for you and I do believe that that is all this film ever wanted to be.
(Okay, yeah it does not feel like the 80's, but who cares) -
craziebtch66610 December 2020Definitely NOT set in 1988!! Which irritates the hell out of me...don't give a year if you can't get the costuming & props correct! Johnny Knoxville as a pastor?!! Ya, that's believable. Decent B-movie horror
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J-Kidin29 May 2020The writer obviously didn't experience any of his formative years in the 80's and should have done more research. I know it's expensive to make period movies, but maybe they could have tried a little harder with at least the wardrobe. Low rise pants were Not an 80's thing! If it wasn't stated in the beginning, no one would have known it was supposed to be the 1980's.
The movie seemed to have potential but quickly lost it. The continuity was horrible along with stupid decisions and actions by all characters, with lots of holes in the story. How many times can it be it be proffered to call the police before someone actually does just that? Apparently in this movie, infinity. The story overall was stupid, and although people have said there was a twist, it was so obvious it really didn't feel like it. Been done previously and much better.
Overall, stupid story, stupid characters in stupid situations, and just plain stupid. There were so many holes in the film it left you with questions about some really basic, overlooked items. But luckily the film was so stupid that it only took a few minutes to get over it and realize, who cares. -
leesimon-263579 March 2021Teen slasher with not enough slashing. Three teen girls meet three teen boys at a metal concert, and they take the party to a remote farm-house. Meanwhile, there are news stories about satanic murders being blamed on cults. Pretty straight forward plot. The twists that occur are very easy to see coming. Nothing was reinvented with this movie. Nothing clever occurs throughout, though there is some intermittent suspense. You know what is going to happen at every beat, but there are still one or two thrills as you get there. The production values are not bad, and at least it is shot well. But the dialogue is very poor, and much of the character interactions are not credible. The ending was also profoundly stupid. Overall, disappointing. I probably won't choose to see this again, but if it's on TV, I might not change the channel.
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rolbyh200210 November 2020Pretty intriguing setup. I'm not into torture films, and it does start to veer into that territory. It's not a super fast-paced horror film but it does have some good performances and a couple good twists and turns.
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olesd31 March 2020This is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on painkillers. The acting is so broad it's ridiculous, but not quite as broad as the in-your-face and pathetic attempts to make everything feel '80s'. The leads are so stock you might as well replace the opening section of the film with any other horror movie about tipsy kids trucking around (gasp) the rural USA. And then the 'twist' happens which was telegraphed so hilariously heavily that midway through this 'horror' film transforms into a really irritating lecture. You want to make a personal point? Fine. But if you claim your production is a horror/comedy you need to provide either scares or laughs, and this dull slog provides neither. You'll guess the cardboard villains within seconds of their introductions and then it's all over but wandering around in badly lit rooms interspersed by unconvincing kills.
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benigma-258-7798666 August 2020This is the first time I've reviewed a film on here, and I'm doing so now because it's also one time when I watched the film before reading the reviews, and I'm glad I did. Had I read all the negative reviews beforehand I would have missed a highly entertaining, if silly film.
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calexgosport18 April 2020I love Alexandra as an actress and definitely this is a waste and very disappointing movie for her...
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cfaith-898499 September 2020The part of the story that i really enjoyed was that the religious people were the bad guys, and the atheists were the good guys. Other than that it wasn't the greatest movie, but still good enough to watch at least once
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We Summon the Darkness is a partially fun, nonsensical throwback to 80s slasher flicks, albeit with a mild satanic twist. There's really no depth in the writing (by Alan Trezza) here and it's almost like director Marc Meyers fully acknowledges this. They intentionally play to its B-movie strengths (a.k.a cheap thrills) - a death-metal concert backdrop, a bunch of boys and girls who are up for the textbook definition of a good time, and a little (but quite predictable) twist in the tale. However, the film doesn't fully embrace its Grindhouse potential.
The film gives more screen-time to Daddario, Hasson, and Forsyth. Daddario scores in the latter parts while Hasson keeps the sass levels unchecked. The dudes (Austin Swift, Logan Miller, and Keean Johnson) are serviceable at best, while Knoxville (as Pastor Butler) feels miscast. The gore isn't really off-putting; it just adds to the kills. The off-the-hook comedy barely works too; there's an overall feel of a dumbed-down Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The weapons (one of the most important elements in slashers), used to elevate the shock value, are surprisingly the least memorable. -
thegrimmreaper1 October 2020This movie is dumb fun. There have been so many worse movies with better scores than this (5.1 currently). It's well made and acted. Some good (aka non-cgi) blood. Fun 80s metal vibe. Hot chicks. The story isn't great, but at least it tries to do something different, which I say is a plus. View it as a comedy and you'll enjoy it much more.
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beriberg21 October 2020I'm a metalhead; I've also always been especially fascinated by the Satanic Panic that peaked in the 80s. For these reasons, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film. That being said, I can appreciate why someone who isn't as enthralled by both or either of these things could find this film lackluster at certain points.
Personally? I absolutely loved how this film flipped the idea of the Satanic Panic on its head: it's not the metalheads who should be feared, rather it's the hypocritical yet socially revered bible-thumpers. With the number of films I've watched based around the idea of satanic ritual sacrifice (sAtaNiSt = SaDIsT), this was refreshing. (The hysteria around satanism is hilarious given that the unbiased statistics of ritual abuse found in the Catholic and Christian church FAR outweigh any numbers regarding satanic cults--I digress. Clearly this movie caused me to geek out big time).
One of the most glaring critiques I've read of this film comes from metal elitists (who sadly craft a horrible image of metalheads for the general public): 'the chicks aren't even into metal. All they say is surface level.' These 'critics' clearly missed the entire point of the film. Two of the main female leads are SUPPOSED to be posers. The girl who remembered the exact date of her first concert? A detail like that is purposefully logistical, because her character is playing the ROLE of a metalhead. It is SUPPOSED to be obviously surface-level. The only female lead who is actually into metal is the one who saves the victims from being murdered by the posers (a detail I also thoroughly enjoyed).
All in all, I'd recommend reading up on some history of the Satanic Panic before watching this film; it's a fun watch, but it's a compelling watch once you can understand that it is a fiery cultural critique.
(I definitely geeked out at the Heavy Metal Parking Lot nod, too). -
bowlingspencer11 August 2020Great potential. Great cast. Bad execution. If you are bored, I still think its worth a watch, but only if you are really bored. I felt like I was watching a bad knock off of Scream. The two killers even mimick Stu and Billy.
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mostafa-magdy-mahmoud-al12 April 2020This was by far one of the worst movies I have ever seen for a while!
This story could have been a material for something big however, it brought out an undeniably bad picture. I really have nothing else to say! -
horrorules3 November 2020A movie with Alexandra, gore and heavy metal I couldn't miss it, and in fact i'm very satisfied, this movie is very fun and gore, and Alexandra proves, once again, that in addition to being the most beautiful woman in the world (Scarlet Johansson sucks) she is also an extraordinary actress, incredibly versatile and multifaceted, and in this film she gives us a sadistic, evil and disturbing villain, but the thing that I most appreciate about the movie is the message it send: it's not heavy metal that is evil, but fanaticism and religious bigotry, that is the scourge to be eradicated and finally society is also realizing it, but at the time (the movie takes place in 1988) people were very dull and bigoted.
In conclusion we are not in front of a masterpiece of course, but this film still deserves to be seen and appreciated and obviously the pathetic haters of IMDB do not contradict themselves and give it a low rating, but at the same time PILES OF CRAP like marvel's movies, the infinte sequels of Fast & Furious and similiar garbage are exalted and have high ratings :-(
My rating for this movie is 7/10.